CH 8

11-13 minutes 20.04.2023

(POV Chiharu)

“Leave it to me, big sister.”

“Okay, understood.”

“Hehehe, we’ll exterminate all the vegetable people.”

“You shouldn’t say such scary things like exterminating everyone, you know?”

“Alright then, how about–give me your life!”

“Hmm… Well, if that’s the case…”

As I pondered the mystery of who the vegetable people might be, I was struck by how knowledgeable she seemed, knowing things I didn’t as we descended to the lower floor. Upon entering the living room, I was surprised to find Onii-san, who had been awake all this time, seated on the sofa, enjoying dinner. He was eating the same food we had earlier—a hamburger accompanied by a serving of white rice.

“Have you finished eating?”

“Yes, thank you for the meal.”

“I see… Huh?”

Onii-san noticed Chiaki hiding behind me. Chiaki, who was full of energy until just now, immediately hid behind my back as usual when entering the room. Placing her hand on my shoulder, she peeked out with only a part of her face showing, looking at Onii-san. Her hands trembled with apprehension as she gathered her courage to speak up.

“Oh, um… thank you for the meal…”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Y-yes.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Despite her furtive gestures, Chiaki managed to have a proper conversation with Onii-san. She then noticed a pack of unopened grape-flavored gummies on the table in the living room.

“Do you want to have these?”

“Y-yes.”

“Let’s eat them together, as siblings.”

“T-thank you.”

She extended her trembling hand to receive the gummies, and as soon as they were opened, the sound of unwrapping and the satisfying crunch of gummies being chewed could  be heard, accompanied by an indescribable voice of happiness.

“Thank you, Onii-san.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

After exchanging words with Onii-san, Chiaki opens her mouth again from behind, with a larger portion of her body visible compared to earlier.

“My lord, may I inquire how you would prefer to be addressed? If we are to dwell together henceforth, it would be prudent to settle upon a proper appellation, I do believe…”

“Hmm, anything is fine… ”

“Then, Black…?”

“…..How about Kaito?”

“Understood. Kaito.”

Onii-san nervously chuckled when he was called “Black”. I wasn’t sure if it was okay to have such thoughts, but it was clear that he was different.

“As for me, you can call me Chiaki. Or maybe Thousand Harvest…”

“Ah, then Chiaki it is…”

“I see…”

Chisaki looked a little disappointed. Was Thousand Harvest a better choice? Personally, I thought Chiaki was cuter. Oh, right! Chiaki suddenly spoke up again, realizing she had forgotten something important.

“Oh, um, by the way, I couldn’t mention it during my introduction earlier, but I am a half-angel, half-demon. So, nice to meet you.”

“Really? What a coincidence! I’m also a half-breed, half-ice clan from Hokkaido, and half-fire clan from Okinawa.”

“What? Really?!” Chiaki exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. It seemed like the mention of him being a half-breed and the Ice and Fire clans were pointed out to accommodate Chiaki… Somehow, it felt like he knew exactly how to handle Chiaki.

“Oh, yeah, that’s why you can freely use this house without hesitation, being a half-breed and all,” Onii-san said.

“Wow, you’re such a great guy!” Chiaki exclaimed enthusiastically.

Not many people could keep up with Chiaki’s conversations. Even we sisters sometimes struggled with knowing how to respond. So I was grateful when Onii-san responded with the same level of excitement, as if it were second nature to him.

“Oh, yeah…so suddenly, that’s amazing,” Onii-san said, slightly taken aback by Chiaki’s sudden burst of energy.

“Fufu, I see. So you’re the one who appeared in my dream,” Chiaki said with curiosity.

“Huh?” Onii-san replied, surprised.

“Uh…?” Chiaki looked confused.

“Oh…ahem, that’s strange. I was supposed to have erased your memory of that time…” Onii-san said, momentarily looking conflicted.

As Chiaki mentioned something that seemed difficult to respond to, Onii-san’s expression became complex for a moment. But seeing Chiaki’s sad face when she didn’t get a response, he covered his right eye with his right hand and lowered his voice to give a somewhat appropriate answer. Onii-san was quite easygoing…

“Ohhhhh!! Hey, hey, this guy is amazing!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“That’s good,” Onii-san replied.

“Yeah, I’m glad I came here!” Chiaki said with excitement.

“Yeah, uh…” Onii-san stuttered.

What was this feeling? It felt like losing a part of myself, like someone was taking away my little sister. It was supposed to be a good thing, but…it made me feel sad.

Chiaki also covered her crimson right eye with her hand, just like Onii-san did.

“Heh, memories can’t be erased. Once humans meet someone, they won’t forget. They just can’t remember,”  

But that’s also forgetting…

“How…can you do that…” 

“Hehehe, there’s no other way to describe this guy other than ‘amazing’,” 

Uuu I feel lonely… Even Onee-chan can’t do that much! Onii-san, let me take over… But seeing Chiaki’s happy face makes me feel happy too. I don’t think I can come up with lines better than Onii-san even if I take over. This is truly like heaven and hell.

“Kaito, you’re amazing.”

Chiaki’s eyes sparkled, shining like the Milky Way packed with stars, like the sunlit waters of Hawaii. She must have been expecting something. A clean house with good food and a nice bath. Kind and considerate, matching her preferences. Even though she had only been in this house for a few hours, she must have felt that the future would be something she had never experienced before, something wonderful.

Onii-san smiled wryly as he accompanied Chiaki.

“My family… Why are you puffing up your cheeks?” Chiaki called out to me.

“No reason…” 

Chiaki tilted her head and gently touched my cheeks.

“Oh, it’s like a pufferfish.”

“I’m not a seafood.”

“You know that, right?”

“Mhm.”

Onii-san smiled warmly and didn’t say anything. As it was, I left the living room and returned to my room.

It wasn’t exactly exciting, but I was happy for Chiaki  that she had more people she could trust.

◆◆

(POV Kaito)

The sight of the duo returning the dishes and heading upstairs caught me off guard. I had anticipated that only the eldest daughter, Chiharu, or perhaps the youngest sibling, Chifuyu, would make an appearance. Thus, I was taken aback when the third sister, Chiaki, the Chuunibyuu girl, emerged instead.

Determined to connect with her on some level, I attempted to converse in a manner that would resonate with her. My goal was to establish a friendship, even if it was just a small one.

It felt tiring to always be so formal. Since we lived in the same house, every time we pass each other, meet by chance, or brush our teeth at the washbasin together, it’ll be awkward and will wear down my spirit.

So, in order to prevent that from happening and be able to speak more casually without hesitation, I used a chuunibyou-like way of speaking that she might like, and to my surprise, it had more effect than I thought. It’s not just a little surprising, though…

When she looked at me with sparkling eyes as if she had found a comrade, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of duty to act chuunibyou.

Would I have to continue going forward with that act from now on. 

It was tough, but I guess I will just have to see how it goes. After all, she seemed so happy about it… However, it was surprising how quickly she opened up to me.

Well, in the game, her character was one that easily gained favorability points. There were three main ways to increase favorability in the game. The first was by overcoming events, experiences, or cooperating with the character. The second was simply by giving them presents. And the third was through an interaction mode.

While the way favorability points increased differed depending on the events and the heroine, Chiaki favorability points rose smoothly. I remembered that Chiaki was the first character I successfully pursued in “Rsounding Love.”

If things continue like this… Th-th-th-that’s impossible! Me, pursuing Chiaki…!?

Well, there’s no way that could happen. In this game, the main character’s favorability points increase through certain elements, but even if I give her presents, it won’t be enough to make her a romantic interest.

Or rather, it’s impossible. After all, this world is a yuri game, and in the end, the main character will most likely end up with one of the girls. As for me, I would love to request a harem route for the finish… but there’s no point in thinking about that now.

Regardless, it’s a good trend that Chiaki is becoming more comfortable around me. I can only hope that all the sisters will feel the same way.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

The fluffy scent of the sun-drenched futon filled the air. The room was cool with the air conditioner running. The soft orange light from the nightlight illuminated the room.

In past summers, mosquitoes made it itchy and uncomfortable around the room, making it difficult to sleep. So I used to freeze a part of the room… I would sometimes tuck in Chiaki’s protruding belly for her poor sleeping posture, and Chinatsu would snuggle up because she was scared of the dark at night. On the other hand, Chifuyu would want to be pampered but couldn’t bring herself to ask for it.

There were days when everyone couldn’t sleep because they were hungry.

But now, it’s different. Chinatsu was sleeping soundly with a full belly, while Chiaki was hugging a pillow and sleeping comfortably.

It’s different from back then, when we were abused by our parents and banished when our super powers awakened, and we wandered about. Now, we were much closer to true happiness.

Nevertheless, the environment was so different that I felt a slight sense of discomfort, making it difficult to sleep. I gazed up at the soft orange light of the nightlight, and then I heard a voice from beside me.

“Haru-nee… Are you awake?”

“Yeah, I’m awake.”

It seemed like Chifuyu couldn’t sleep either, as she spoke up to me. I turned towards her, and even in the dim light, I could tell she was looking at me.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Yeah… It’s hard.”

“Yeah, I can’t sleep either.”

“Is it because everything is so different?”

“Yeah, I think our bodies are just puzzled.”

“True… It’s all just so different.”

Agreeing with me, Chifuyu continued the conversation.

“But it seems like Aki-nee is getting used to this place.”

“That’s right, Chiaki has a keen eye and is straightforward, so she probably realized this was the ideal place right away.”

“Aki-nee, who can trust so easily, is amazing.”

“Yeah…”

After that, Chifuyu stopped saying anything. Chifuyu… must be envious. Envious of what Chiaki has—something she doesn’t have, something that is unique to Chiaki.

However, Chifuyu refrained from voicing her feelings, knowing that we craved normalcy while she longed for something else. For that reason, we both remained silent.

I couldn’t say anything to Chifuyu either. She was seeking something special, and I didn’t know how to approach that territory. The words I, a non-conformist, would say to her would only sound like annoying sympathy to her ears. 

It was difficult, but as I pondered on what to do next and how to face the situation, I forced my heavy eyelids shut, just like Chifuyu, and closed my eyes to sleep.